1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to improvements in portable seating devices and, more particularly, to an improvement in a combined seat and cane.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the related art, combined canes and seats are well known. Disabled people forced to use canes to aid in walking are faced with obstacles on a daily basis that most of us take for granted. Simple travel from place to place becomes a major undertaking that requires considerable effort. Fortunately, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the difficulties that these people face and are responding in a positive manner. For example, legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act imposes responsibilities upon the public sector to make provisions to accommodate the physically disabled so that they may gain access to, and take advantage of, the various goods and services available to others. Unfortunately, however, there are many aspects in which our society has failed to respond thus far in addressing this issue. Access for the disabled doesn't just mean being able to get inside the door, it means being able to do so with a relative amount of comfort. A prime example of this situation is that many times waiting in lines is involved. These lines can be found in grocery stores, banks, license bureaus, and the like where there are no seating areas provided in lines. Additionally, the wait may be from a few minutes to thirty minutes or more, which is extremely uncomfortable, if not impossible, for many disabled people. Accordingly, there is a need for a means by which disabled people can have access to seating areas while waiting in lines with greater ease and efficiency.
Prior art combined canes and seats attempt to fulfill this need by providing a collapsible seat connected to the main shaft body of the cane via a collapsible attachment means. To use, one simply folds the seat down into the horizontal position and seats themselves thereon. The bottom tip of cane rests on the ground and the user supports their weight thereon in this fashion. Examples of these type of cane and seat combinations are U.S. Pat. No. 4,684,090 issued to Skarland, and U.S. Pat. No. 731,291 issued to Dulin. However, the drawback of to these inventions is that one must constantly balance themselves on the seat as the entire weight of the user is transmitted to the ground solely through the tip of the cane. Another type of cane and seat combination, found in U.S. Pat. No. D 284,429 issued to Garde, appears to try to eliminate this problem by providing a collapsible seat and cane combination with a folding tubular structure that has a pair of legs for supporting the device when in the open position. However, such an arrangement proves to be bulky when carrying and doesn't look like a conventional cane.
The present invention eliminates this problem by providing a conventional cane with a collapsible leg and seat assembly that allows a disabled individual to quickly deploy when stationary such as waiting in a line. At the base of the cane there are a plurality of legs that fold out and lock in a tripod-based arrangement similar to that found on a music stand. The seat assembly is a plurality of four retracting rods connected together via a pair of cross-members that stow conveniently inside the hollow stem of the cane. A fabric seat covering also unfolds from within the hollow cane stem wherein said fabric covering is connected along two edges to said cross-members and suspended therebetween in a semi-taut manner. When collapsed the Cane Seat forms a thin, streamlined, and lightweight arrangement that functions as a cane in a conventional manner. As a result of using the Cane Seat, the individual may move around with relative ease, and always be guaranteed access to a seat whenever they find themselves waiting in a line.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention; however, the following references were considered related:
U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date 4,684,090 Skarland August 4, 1987 731,291 Dulin June 16, 1903 D 284,429 Garde July 1, 1986 4,562,850 Earley et al. January 7, 1986 4,130,294 Walker December 19, 1978 4,062,372 Slusher December 13, 1977 D 290,186 Meunchen June 9, 1987 D 251,098 Diedrich et al. February 20, 1979 5,060,967 Hulterstrum October 29, 1991